The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1887-10-08
AN OPEN LETTER.

-, | seldom cOndescend to notice Il
" idiotic rumors and statements abo
what | am reported either to say or
omit saying. l know what l do
re TACT utter, and | care but little what Il
>, ignorance of some and the dishonest
OF others may sometimes attribute
me. But the above editorial paragrap
l. makes a direct appeal to Inc, hence
notice it.
H.. AS to slandering the "clergy,"
:. have had nothing but praise for thoE
rlght-minded men who are preachiI
he the gospel; as to that portion WI
ID have abandoned the pulpit and goI
PC into politics, the most effective way
which l could have slandered the
" would have been to state that they ais
'r are preaching the gospel, but this
&c have never stated, as it is a nOtOriOr
tact they. are preaching politics, an
let 1t be further understood that as {
, them l did not throw the first stone.
AS to "slandering the women"
have seen your statement, though yo
took good care not to send me tbs
issue OF your paper, and | have ais
heard the assertions you and others ar
making, and at which | am uot niue
surprised, since have learned in thi
canvass that lying of a very low orde
Is the principal weapon of some prohi
q bitionists.
Now, sir, do you think it honorable
to make a statement, that L. or an,
o one else, stated so and so, which is you
mere deduction. without stating tn
language actually used. If, sir, nj,
words were disrespectful, and O de
sire, as You evidently do, to make CAPT
: tai out of them, would not simple hon
J eaeR require that you state the languag,
instead of your miserable ant
deduction?
dstBut l do not propose to let ye-
81 escape by so general a replY@ea'I'
III to your charge, and~pie s1h'io
v that YOU will hri~1me facts we (you)
!, mem wha%d desire to be explicit.
Il ha~nsWer is this: Whoever has writ
TloA or stated, whoever proposes to
tWfite1o Of state hereafter, that | uttered
.ona word, which by direction or i'll
direction, could be construed into a
| SANDER of or a reflection on the women
| of this county, is all unmitigated falsi-
! fer.
| ask you again, why did you not
publish the language l did use? 1t
| would moi have suited your hypocriti-
| cal purpose can be the only reason. |
| only regret that l am now compelled to
leave the state for a short while, but
| do not let hat trouble you, | shall soon
| return, and | hope to be able to visit
Hieginsville. and | shall then pay my
| respects to you, and also to n social
| ed preacher residing there, n Mr.
| Loos, who has proved himself as base
| a libeller, if that be possible, as you in
your short residence have proved your
self to be. Permit me, also, to say
| that for a new conner you have shown
yourself a little brash, and permitted
yourself too easily to be made a stool
pigeon for others.
Since you have not done so | will
| repeat, not only the sentiment, but also
| almost the exact words of my speech,
Ikmow the Language used.
| said 81 am not here to defend
the saloon-keeper. Would to God there
it from mt to say aught against the
thousands upon thousands of happy
homes in this broad land, which are
| and must ever continue 10 be the fOun-
dation of the state, her happiness and
pfOspcIlLy. NcltutE WOuiu L utitI oiit
word against the noble women, the
mothers of this land, but while this is
true, there are exceptions to this as 10
| al! rules-few in number but still they,
exist. You see 4 %dfunkard, and You
Observation-Disclosures uoon "@atia
saloon-keeper debtor to one %drunkard.
the law, and often having being COM
ro1laI IN raol fbn friolo ~ l,o,nn
cases, has taught me that there are
times the tired farmer, perhaps he has
spent the day blowing in stumpy
ground (and some OF you know what
that means), Or the man who amid the
heat and smoke has barred his arm at
the anvil, or the doctor from the sick
room, Or the lawyer from the mental
strain of al important trial, ONE
languid and tired TO the home which
should be one of repose. He is met at
the door by Don't step there with your
muddy feet; don't go there; don't do
this, and don't do that Constant
petulancy, constant fault finding, until
at last he is driven hence vainly to seek
the peace and repose he finds not in his
home. All, are there not homes sone-
times made desOlute thus, and this, to-
gether with extravaganza, sometimes
makes drunkards? say such cases are
the exceptions, but | say they exist.
And in all such cases, where the great
book is opened, and the light that can
not be hid is revealed, the Judge of all
the world will take your little mental
memorandum book, erase your entry,
and over against it write IAN uncon-
genial, petulant wife debtor to one
drunkard.'" There, sir is my statement
| by it l stand. And l wOnld like to see
the respectable gentlemen" who ques-
ton the accuracy of the statement.
And, sir, the man Of mature years
who would doubt the truth OF the above
utterances would write himself down
a monumental ass, and he who would
continue it for political effect into a
SANDER of the whole female sex would
write bimselfdOwn a %perverter of truth,
for, having lived in this county a great
rnany years, and having had access to
pretty sNs of its best people, and a
testimony, as a~rainlancc, [ here bear
against the statemeht 9 on the stumn
cOadjutors, that they are as eng
drunken sots). that the men of Latay
cite county, as a rule, are sober, indus
, trious and good citizens, with happy,
( contented homes, made so by theil
, wives and daughters. Yet it is true
as | know as a lawyer, that there ar
some exceptions.
;, Sir, how miserable and contemptibl'
must the simnie statement OF tact
make you appear in the eyes Of deeen
, people. Would it not, if that wert
possible, be better TO reform the falsi'
flying propensities OF some people b.
t law, rather than their appetite 10
drink? Do you think, sir, that tn
effect of an argument you cannO
answer can be met by such miser
able subteriuges; or do you think tn
n refined ladies of this community vii
Y take their ideas OF culture and refine
ment from you, who had scarce,
brushed the dust of Kansas from you
o seat before You had advertised yourself
and wife to address a political meeting
The people of this county may b.
%drunkards, as you have published
e them; they may staud in need of you
n enlightened Judgment to regniat
y their private affairs; but they have nc
sunk IN the moral scale to that dept
" that they must look to your example a
g a worthy pattern.
"a false witness shall not be unpunist
ed, and he that speake.h lies shall lie
escape."-PrOverbs, ch. lS, V. D.
Since you have referred to my motive
p for opposing this law, let me ask yo
e. Il